Hitting the line

by Ralph Henry Barbour

A long forward-pass by Mount Morris had been captured by Milford, playing at right end, and Milford had dodged and feinted his way past the whole green-and-white team and would have scored then and there had he not slipped on a none too dry turf and been pounced on by a pursuing enemy some eight yards from the last line. But that only stayed the touchdown for a few minutes, for Grafton had no idea of being stopped virtually on the threshold. Winslow and Ordway and then Monty had each sliced off his share of the remaining distance, and then Winslow, skirting left tackle, had gone rolling across the final mark. But the captain had made a mess of his goal-try and when, a minute or two later, the whistle had blown, Mount Morris had trotted off with one point to her advantage.

During half-time the spectators pulled their collars up around the necks and plunged chilled fingers into pockets and stamped numb feet, for the afternoon was gray and cold. Earlier, there had been one or two brief glimpses of the sun and a pale yellow radiance had promised warmth, but the promise had not been fulfilled. There was a light but chilling breeze from the northwest that stole searchingly up sleeves and down unprotected necks. Grafton and Mount Morris adherents sang their songs and cheered lustily while they awaited the reappearance of the teams and managed occasionally to forget their discomfort. But the time went slowly, as it always does when a close score has made the next half-hour of play so vitally important, and it seemed much more than a quarter of an hour before the blanketed teams reappeared and the cheer leaders dashed to the front of the stands and waved their arms. Then the last sustained “Grafton!” died away and the voice of the referee came distinctly from the field.

“Ready, Grafton? Ready, Mount Morris?”

Then came the whistle, a moment of waiting and the ball arched away from Pete Gowen’s boot.

Monty watched now from the bench, for they had given his place to Caner. Why this was so Monty couldn’t fathom. He was sensible of having conducted himself at least worthily. He didn’t have to accept his own judgment only as to that, for in the little bleak shed in which they had spent the intermission more than one fellow had told him as much; not in words, to be sure, but in approving thumps and looks that meant more than words. Monty had been roughly used in those first two quarters, for Mount Morris was out to win, and gentleness was no part of her method, but his injuries were not important and most of them were in plain sight in the shape of a swollen left eye and a two-inch cut on his chin, the latter chastely hidden by a strip of plaster. However, there was no use in whining. Caner had the job and Caner was doing it well. Monty strove to be philosophical and snuggled his hands into his sweater sleeves and hunched the red blanket more closely about him and watched every play with his heart almost in his mouth. When you have taken part in a game it is hard to be relegated to the rôle of looker-on. You see so many things happen that, you are firmly convinced, could not have happened had you been in there! As when Ordway, running the left end, was brought thumping to earth for a six-yard loss because the interference had straggled. Or as when Caner, trying a straight plunge from kick formation, which had fooled no one for an instant, had chosen the wrong hole and been brought up standing and pushed back and back!

Monty could only hope that Caner, without being badly hurt, would be put out of it before the game was over. Even then, however, he reflected morosely, it might be Fenton who would pull his head harness on and go loping into the line-up.

Mount Morris put a scare into the hearts of Graftonians in the third quarter by working the ball steadily up the field by end runs and tackle plays interspersed with three successful forward-passes as far as the visitor’s eighteen. There, though, Grafton met the succeeding onslaught heroically and, while retreating to her twelve yards, finally forced the enemy to try a place-kick. That Mount Morris did not by that means add another three points to her seven was only because her line did not hold. The ball started true enough, but someone’s canvas-clad chest got in its way and Nick Blake fell on the pigskin far back up the field and for the time danger was averted. A minute or two later Weston replaced Blake and Hanser went in for Ordway. The result of Weston’s substitution was at once apparent, for Grafton started to kick in the endeavor to reach a point from which Winslow might lift a field-goal over the bar and so forge ahead. And Grafton gained slightly on each exchange, for Mount Morris accepted the challenge and punted back regularly on third down, but the gains came slowly and time was flying and almost before anyone expected it the quarter was up.

It was Grafton’s ball then on her own forty-five-yard line, Hanser having just reeled off five yards through left guard with the rest of the Grafton backfield piling through on his heels. The teams changed positions and Hanser again banged at the Mount Morris left and got a scant two. Winslow punted on the next down and Mount Morris made a fair catch—she was taking no chances of fumbling—on her twenty-two. Two tries at the line netted six yards and again the ball was in air. Winslow caught on his forty-seven and rushed to the enemy’s forty-six. A yard by Caner made it second down and Hanser got seven around the left end on a delayed pass. Weston punted from close up and the ball went out at the opponent’s twenty-one. Then Mount Morris faked a forward and sent a back circling around Derry’s end and gained nearly her distance. A forward-pass grounded and she punted to Grafton’s thirty. Weston fumbled the catch, but recovered before he was tackled. Caner went back and tried a forward to Milford that grounded. Winslow smashed off three at right tackle but fumbled, Weston recovering for a loss of seven yards. Winslow punted.

Mount Morris ran back for a dozen yards before she was stopped and time was called for Grafton. Hanrihan was hurt and made way for Gordon. The timer announced nine minutes left. Two attempts at the Grafton line failed and Mount Morris punted to Grafton’s twelve. Weston missed the catch, but Hanser recovered it and gained a few yards before he was thrown. Blake replaced Weston. Winslow got free around the right side and ran to the thirty-two. On a fake-kick he again gained, getting six through center. Caner added four more and made it first down on the forty-two yards. Caner got three through center and Blake ran the right end for three more. Winslow was stopped for no gain and punted to the enemy’s ten yards, a kick that brought a roar of applause from the Grafton side. The Mount Morris quarter signaled a fair-catch, but muffed the ball and finally fell on it just inside the goal line. Mount Morris kicked on first down from behind her goal and Blake caught on the thirty-seven and was downed for no gain. There were six minutes left. Longley replaced Musgrave at center and Derry went back at left end. Grafton was cheering imploringly, incessantly now.

Winslow tried to find a hole at right guard, but was stopped, and Hanser had no better luck on the other side. Winslow went back to kicking position and launched a lateral pass to Derry and the end got eight yards straight along the side line. From kick formation Blake dived through for first down. On this play Winslow was injured and Boynton was sent in. Mount Morris also made changes. The home team was plainly on the defensive now and showing weakness. Boynton tried to run the left end and was downed behind his line. Caner got four through the line, but off-side was called and Grafton took her third penalty of the game. Hanser sent a forward to Derry and gained the distance. Hersum went in for Kinley at guard.